Nineteen Years Later - Packing Lists
by Theoretical-Optimist
Summary: Set just before the Epilogue in Deathly Hallows. Albus Severus Potter is anxious about leaving for his first year at Hogwarts. Written for Round 4 of The Houses Competition


-AN All rights reserved to JK Rowling.

House: Gryffindor

Theme: Trunk

Word Count: 1215

Beta: BlameThePlunnies

"Give it back, James!" Albus Potter yelled at his obnoxious older brother.

James held the stack of standard black robes just out of Albus's reach. Albus cursed the growth spurt James had undergone that summer. The thirteen year old had shot up so that he towered over his brother. James was all gangly limbs and was pushing two meters now.

"Why are you packing already, you dork?" James teased. "We don't leave for Hogwarts for another two weeks."

Albus used his short stature to his advantage and head-butted James in the stomach. With an "oof" James dropped the pilfered robes. Albus quickly picked them up and hugged them to his chest.

"You'll pay for that, you git!" James growled as he tackled Albus to the ground. James straddled his brother's waist as Albus attempted in vain to push the larger boy off.

"Get off me! MOM!" Albus screamed.

Ginny Potter appeared in the doorway of her boys' bedroom. "Separate now!" she ordered.

Both Albus and James recognized their mother's serious tone and scrambled to their feet.

Albus pointed at James and declared, "He started it, Mum."

James rolled his eyes. "Don't be such a baby, Al."

Ginny quirked an eyebrow at her older son and stared at him until he squirmed under her gaze. Without needing more prompting, he muttered, "Sorry, Mum."

"And," Ginny gestured to Albus.

James grunted, "I'm sorry, Albus." He dropped his voice low so only Albus could hear, "Sorry you're such a geek."

"That's enough, James Sirius," Ginny said having heard the follow up comment. "Go play with Lily. We will talk about this later."

James strutted out of the room, but turned around once he was behind his mother's back to stick his tongue out at Al. Before Albus could react, James ran away, hollering for his little sister.

Albus bent down to pick up his discarded robes from where they had fallen. Once again, he hugged the fabric to his chest and turned towards his trunk.

"What's going on, Al?" Ginny asked kindly.

"James was picking on me again," Albus whined. He laid his robes delicately in the trunk and picked up his packing list.

"Your father and I will talk to him about that," Ginny promised. "You two have been fighting more often than usual. What's going on, honey?"

"I just want to pack for Hogwarts and he won't leave me alone. Last week he hid my textbooks and it took me two days to find them. Yesterday, he added a bunch of nonsense things to my packing list and I had to start all over again. And just now he was playing keep away with my robes," Albus gripped.

Ginny walked over to the trunk sitting at the base of Albus's bed and closed the lid. She sat down and patted to space beside her. "Come here, Albus. I get the feeling this is about more than packing," Ginny said knowingly. "What's really going on?"

"I just want to make sure I'm ready for Hogwarts, Mum," Albus admitted. "What if I fail?"

Ginny put an arm around her son's shoulder and hugged him to her. "You won't fail, I promise," she comforted. "Lots of people are nervous before heading off to Hogwarts".

"James wasn't," Albus quietly muttered under his breath.

Ginny sighed, having heard her son's comment. "You aren't James. You're Albus, and you are allowed to feel however you want."

"Were you scared to go your first year?" he asked shyly.

Ginny paused a moment before admitting, "Well, no." Albus deflated before she continued, "But I had a very different life than you do. I was dying to go make friends. I pretty much only spent time with my brothers and I was the last one left at home. You've had your cousins and little sister as friends all along."

Albus closed his eyes and considered what she was saying. It was true that he wasn't lonely. He loved his family dearly. Rose was his favorite cousin and absolute best friend. Even James wasn't so bad. But despite loving them all, Albus had always felt he didn't fit in. He was afraid that it would be the same at Hogwarts. That he would still feel like the odd one on the outside.

Albus thought that if he made sure that he was completely prepared for Hogwarts in other ways he could be alright. His Aunt Hermione had told them about how she read all her first year texts in the summer before entering Hogwarts. Albus tried to do that but it bored him to tears to read through the books of spells and potions without being able to try them out himself. Stupid restrictions for under-aged wizards.

Since he couldn't study, Albus had decided to reassure himself by making sure he had everything he needed when he got there. The Potters and Weasleys had made their annual back to school trip to Diagon Alley at the beginning of August. Albus felt his nerves calming as he checked things off his school list one by one.

When they had returned home, he'd dragged the trunk his grandparents had given him for his eleventh birthday out of the attic. He had carefully laid his purchases into the trunk and checked them off the list. His new pewter cauldron and scales were settled into the bottom first. Next came his textbooks and stacks of parchment and quills. He folded his heavy winter cloak gently and nestled the garment around the books.

His new Hogwarts scarf was wrapped around a supply of Fizzing Whizbees. His father had offered to buy him a Gryffindor scarf like James had, but Albus had asked for a general school scarf instead.

Once all of his required items were safely inside his trunk, Albus had happily laid his packing list on top and closed the lid. He had felt calm until James started messing around with his things. Each day, James would meddle with his trunk and Albus would feel more and more anxious.

"It's ok to be nervous, Albus," Ginny said as she pressed a kiss against his forehead.

Albus shrugged, "I guess I'm just not brave like you are. Or like dad. Or James."

Ginny hugged him then and he felt safe. "It's going to be fine, Albus. Don't compare yourself to anyone else. Just be you. We all love and support you," she said as she gave his shoulder a squeeze.

Albus let out a small chuckle, "I know, Mum. Even James."

Ginny laughed, "Yes, even James. Now why don't I help you repack your things?"

Albus shrugged, "Why bother? James is just going to tear it all apart again."

Ginny smiled slyly and said, "If there's one thing I learned from growing up with six older brothers, it was how to keep them out of my stuff." She pointed her wand at Albus's trunk and said, " _Fraternus Repelio_."

Albus grinned and thanked her. With a bit of renewed confidence, he picked up the robes that had caused today's scuffle and gently laid them back in the trunk. Once the lid was closed again, he felt a bit more ready to face whatever Hogwarts would bring.


End file.
